Blood and Lilies - Part III

"Is everything alright? I heard a scream." One of the familiar figures questioned.

At the door, two figures paused. Our eyes met, widening in recognition.

— Oh… how I wanted to see you again.

It was Alice and Karen.

"Elias, you're awake!"

Without hesitation, they dashed into my room, their faces etched with worry. They rushed to my bedside, each taking one of my hands to theirs.

"Are you feeling alright, Elias?"

"Do you need your sisters to comfort you?"

"Is something the matter?"

My chest swelled with happiness despite the despair I had endured. Without answering, I pulled them both into a deep hug, clinging to them like a bear that refused to let go.

"Oh...?"

"Not here, Elias… It’s a bit embarrassing."

Their cheeks flushed at my sudden embrace, but their expressions quickly shifted as they felt my body tremble with hiccupping sobs. The sisters exchanged a concerned glance.

"What’s wrong, Elias?" Alice asked softly.

"..."

"I—I—" I stuttered, snot running as my tears streamed freely. "I’m, I'm just so glad… You two are alive!"

"Eh? What’s gotten into you? Did you have a bad dream?" Karen asked, her tone gentle, almost coaxing.

"This isn’t a dream… right?" I whispered.

The two looked at each other once more, then smiled and hugged me back.

"Of course not, Elias. This isn’t a dream. We’re right here. Your sisters won’t be going anywhere."

My tears came harder, overflowing with relief. Time-leap or not, accident or curse, even if I had to start over again and again, just being able to see them both alive was more than enough.

I wonder... when was the last time I cried like this?

"..."

Eventually, their warmth soothed me, as I began to calm down. Alice and Karen wiped my tears and snot with their napkins, fussing over me like doting mothers.

"Are you hungry, Elias? Would you like something to eat?" Alice asked, glancing at the maids.

"Just a little."

"Clara, Tessa. Please fetch some food for Elias."

"Yes, ma’am!" the two maids replied in unison before heading for the kitchen.

"..."

Now it was just me and my sisters. The room grew quiet, but the silence was comforting. Yet beneath that peace lurked the truth: two weeks from now, they would eventually meet their tragic fate.

And I had to stop it. Whatever it took.

But the question was... how?

Should I just tell them the truth? How they died, how I had time-leapt? Would they dismiss it as a nightmare? Would they believe me at all?

Or should I take advantage of this so-called nightmare and present it as a premonition, a warning for them to be careful?

But most of all, if I were to tell them, would it change anything? Could they possibly resist the cruel schemes of that wretched stepmother, who had driven them to their deaths without an ounce of remorse? 

The memory still burned into me like acid. After all, how could I ever forget something like that?

"..."

I scratched my head, with confusion and stress written plainly on my face. I simply didn’t know what to do. Seeing my hesitation, Alice and Karen spoke up.

“Is something the matter, Elias? Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yes… Do tell your sisters, Elias, there's no need to be afraid. We’ll do everything in our power to make you happy.”

— If only it were that easy, my dear sisters… But even so, I had to try.

“I have something to say. It may sound strange, but please, listen to me,” I added, my eyes pleading like a desperate man.

Alice and Karen exchanged glances, then nodded, their expressions firm, showing that they agreed to hear me out.

"..."

"In two weeks..." I paused, my stomach twisting, with my bile threatening to rise as the cruel details of Alice and Karen's deaths surged back to me. Seeing my distress, Alice and Karen gently patted my back and held my hands. "It's alright, Elias. We are here."

I took a shaky breath and continued, "In two weeks… both of you will die."

"..."

A heavy silence filled the room. I glanced at them, searching for a reaction, but their faces were slow to respond, shifting from disbelief to confusion.

"Well… uhm," Alice stammered, "I did not expect that. But… is that why you’ve been so panicked?"

I nodded, confirming her guess.

"Don't worry, Elias. We’ll be fine," Karen said with a small, reassuring smile.

"But!" I protested, desperation lacing in my voice.

"It's not that we do not believe you… Maybe it’s just a nightmare, or a premonition perhaps. Either way, it will be alright," Karen continued. "Don’t underestimate us. We may seem delicate, but we’re tougher than we look, hehe."

"You can say that again, Karen," Alice added. "We aren’t called the fiery twins of Vandrelis for nothing."

No.

This was not what I wanted.

This was definitely not going in the right direction, I had hoped for.

I had to steer the conversation elsewhere, and fast.

"!"

Then a sudden realisation struck me.

"No!" I shouted.

"What's wrong, Elias?" My sisters asked in worry.

"That's not it!" I blurted. I felt like a child nagging for a toy, but I had to say it, no matter what.

"I know that soon, you will travel to Thornwick City for engagement talks with Marquis Beaumont, and there—"

Before I could continue, Alice slowly removed her hand from my shoulder, her eyes wide with shock. After all, the information was meant to be a secret, well atleast, until after the news of the deaths broke.

"How… how did you know, Elias?" she stammered. "Did someone tell you? Did you hear it from someone?"

"No, sister!" I replied firmly. "I experienced it myself. Whether it’s a nightmare or a premonition, I still saw it vividly. Please… believe me."

"It’s not that we don’t believe you," Karen said, squeezing my hands tightly. "Premonitions are warnings, and we should always be cautious of them without doubt. But..." She then lowered her gaze, a tinge of sadness shadowing her face. "But what can we do, Elias? Our mother forces us. We cannot defy her. We have tried before, but unfortunately, she isn’t… a mother in any true sense."

"Still…" I tried to argue, but it was as I expected. My sisters’ fates were bound tightly to their mother’s will, puppets in her hands.

"..."

"I’m sorry," I whispered, seeing Alice still motionless, stunned. "That was insensitive of me. I just… wanted to—"

Seeing my genuineness, Alice interrupted by taking my hand in both of hers, pressing it gently to her head. "It’s not your fault, Elias. We know you just want to protect us. But like Karen said, we have no choice. Nobles often see their children as tools, not people. From the age of three, we were trained in etiquette while other children played. And, don’t apologise. The last thing we want is to see you sad before we leave. You are very dear to us, Elias."

I stayed silent, powerless, overwhelmed. But then Karen’s face brightened slightly. "What if... we ask Mother to delay the visit by a week? Surely that could work, right?"

"That's a great idea, Karen," Alice praised. "Even if it’s difficult, at least we could avoid… whatever your premonition shows, Elias."

The thought of delaying the trip gave me a flicker of hope. They might still have to travel eventually, but maybe, just maybe, they could avoid the bandits.

"!"

Wait, did I even tell them how they were going to die?

"Sisters!" I shouted, forcing myself to share the rest. "There’s something you must know… though this may not be easy to hear."

Alice and Karen exchanged glances, then nodded, their expressions firm yet trusting. "Go on, Elias. We can handle the truth."

"You see…" I paused, swallowing hard, "your deaths… were caused by bandits while travelling to—" My stomach churned violently at the memory, and I retched, unable to continue.

Elias, are you alright?" they asked in unison, concern etching their voices.

"I’m fine," I gasped, forcing myself to continue. "You were attacked by bandits and—"

"It’s alright, Elias," Karen interrupted gently, patting my hand. "We know what bandits are capable of. You don’t need to explain further."

Hearing that, a small relief washed over me, but the potential remaining risks to their lives still gnawed at me. "But for your carriage, aren’t you supposed to have knights or guards escorting you?"

"We are expected to have two knights tomorrow—"

"Tomorrow!?" I shrieked.

"Yes. That was the plan. But now that you have said all this, we’ll need to delay the journey for sure."

Now it all made sense. During my first loop, or iteration, whatever you might call it, that was the reason why I never saw Karen after the first day, even though they had cared for me and fed me with love.

"!"

Then I remembered the mention of two knights. In the first iteration, only three bodies had been found: Alice’s, Karen’s, and the charioteer’s. There were no signs of horses, nor any knights.

Could it be…?

"Alice!" I called, my voice more informal than usual, struck by sudden realisation.

"Ye-ye-yes, Elias?"

"You said you would be escorted by two knights, right?"

"That’s correct, Elias. What’s wrong?"

"But… whose knights have been assigned to you…?"